As a White Sox fan, I can find the humor in the frustration of the fans on the north side. While I do not root against the Cubs (I actually root for them to beat most teams other than the Sox), I don't get upset when they lose. While it is still very early in the year and I nearly got frost bite walking the 10 feet to my car this morning, I figure I'll get a head start on all the experts this year. This post is my tribute to those loveable losers, the Chicago Cubs.
I thought this was entertaining: "The Chicago Cubs Fan Emotional Journey"
Steve Goodman is probably my favorite thing associated with the Cubs. While he is better known for writing the song "Go Cubs Go", this is another great one. It's long, but a classic: "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request"
2009 OUTLOOK
Projected Lineup
1 LF Alfonso Soriano
2 CF Kosuke Fukudome
3 1B Derrek Lee
4 3B Aramis Ramirez
5 RF Milton Bradley
6 C Geovany Soto
7 2B Mike Fontenot
8 SS Ryan Theriot
Projected Rotation
1 Carlos Zambrano (RH)
2 Ryan Dempster (RH)
3 Ted Lilly (LH)
4 Rich Harden (RH)
5 Sean Marshall (LH)
Prediction: Record 89-73. Perhaps this conversation could happen on the El...
I'm not worried about their best pitching. They got pitching...
While Big Z, Dempster, and Harden have the potential to provide lights out stuff every time they take the mound, they have also shown serious signs of inconsistancy. Overall, they have a great rotation and a solid pen with Marmol's nasty stuff finally getting a shot to close. Samardzija should be exciting to watch too once he finds his role with the team.
...They got no hitting.
No hitting? They got hitting!
D.P. D-Lee isn't the same hitter he once was, and Derosa will be a tough bat to replace. Milton Bradley could be a great addition if he stays healthy and keeps his mind on baseball (and not classic board games...). Soriano is rediculous IF he can stay healthy... how a stick man like that can produce so much power is beyond me. I dislike Aramis Ramirez regardless of what anyone says. He is a bum. The shine of Fukudome faded away towards the end of last year, so he is another question mark. Soto will continue to produce behind the plate, and everyone knows you can't quiet The Riot.
...They got no defense.
I like Fontenot at second, especially since it reunites the "French Connection" up the middle with Theriot. D-Lee still has Gold Glove stuff at first. The outfield should be able to cover enough ground to be respectable, and I will enjoy watching Soriano skip around like a Mary.
Defense? Please. ...They need speed.
Speed? They got speed...
While they don't have blazing speed, there are multiple baserunning threats that should keep defenses on their toes.
...They need a bullpen.
Marmol's no good? ...They got no team leaders.
They got DLee! ...What they need is a front office (Tribune...).
But you gotta like their chances...
I LOVE their chances.
I hope that you Cub fans out there will speak up and let me know your thoughts. Perhaps even an additional prediction post is in order. I will preview the White Sox in my next installment. Until then,
Scottimus
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3 comments:
Very cool to see your post with the video of "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request" and a passing mention of "Go, Cubs, Go" by Steve Goodman. He often doesn't get his due. You might be interested in my 800-page biography, "Steve Goodman: Facing the Music." The book delves deeply into the genesis of "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request" and its semi-sequel, "Go, Cubs, Go."
You can find out more at my Internet site (below). Amazingly, the book's first printing sold out in just eight months, all 5,000 copies, and a second printing of 5,000 is available now. The second printing includes hundreds of little updates and additions, including 30 more photos for a total of 575. It won a 2008 IPPY (Independent Publishers Association) silver medal for biography: http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=1231. To order a second-printing copy, see the "online store" page of my site. Just trying to spread word about the book. Feel free to do the same!
Clay Eals
1728 California Ave. S.W. #301
Seattle, WA 98116-1958
(206) 935-7515
(206) 484-8008
ceals@comcast.net
http://www.clayeals.com
No offense Clay, but please don't plug your book deals on our Blog. A simple mentioning of the book will suffice.
Clay, don't listen to M. Personally I am glad to see that our little blog has reached a wider audience. Also, I took a trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recently, and they had a section for sports in music. There were a few mentions of Steve Goodman which I found pretty neat.
M, lighten up dude. He made a comment on a public blog. Blogs are great because they spark communication on all kinds of stuff. Who knows, maybe I'll buy his book... and maybe the Cubs will finally win the World Series. Stranger things have happened.
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